Field of the Invention
The present disclosure generally relates to memory control and, more particularly, to a memory control apparatus, and a resource management method for a memory control apparatus.
Description of the Related Art
In recent years, products supporting two or more page description languages (PDLs) at a low-end image-forming apparatus have been increasing. The PDLs to be supported include Printer Control Language (PCL), Portable Document Format (PDF), and eXtended Markup Language paper specification (XML paper specification, or XPS). The PDLs use different analysis methods and rending methods, and thus each need work memory. Therefore, a configuration where PDLs can be operated with less work memory by sharing the work memory has been studied.
In a conventional technique, work memory is secured for each of PDLs at the time of activation, and when an interrupt occurs during analysis of a PDL, the work memory for another PDL is used. PDL jobs can be printed with a smaller work memory capacity, by performing processing while switching to the work memory for another PDL (discussed in, for example, Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2009-220457).
There is also studied a method for executing activation and deactivation to release or secure a memory space in the work memory every time each PDL job changes the type of a PDL. This allows a reduction in size of the work memory for activation of PDLs.
However, in the conventional technique, there is a problem in a resource management method in switching a PDL when two or more PDLs are installed.
For example, according to the specifications of the PCL, all pieces of resource data are deleted in activation processing at power OFF/ON of an image generation apparatus. According to the specifications of the PCL, resource data from power ON to power OFF is stored, and a resource cannot be passed on after power OFF/ON.
In the method for sharing the work memory, activation processing is necessary at the timing when the PDL is switched. Therefore, all pieces of PCL resource data are deleted, when the PDL is switched. This causes such a problem that, if the PDL is switched, even if the power is not turned OFF/ON, there is no file in a resource area and thus text or an image is not rendered, when a job using PCL resource data is fed again by a user.
In other words, the specifications of the PCL, specifically, the storage of the resource data from power ON to power OFF, cannot be satisfied.
In this way, in the conventional technique, although processing to save resource data temporarily to an external storage area is performed, whether the resource data is deletable cannot be determined since no determination is made as to power OFF/ON.